Rudy Gay Jr. is a professional basketball player. The 6'8" forward played college basketball at UConn before being drafted. At UConn, he awared with the Collegiate National Freshman of the Year.

Gay was eighth overall selection in the 2006 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets. He was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies days later. Gay was the second runner up for the 2007 Rookie of Year. In 2007–08, Gay's second season, he set a Grizzlies' franchise record for points in a single season (1,632) and established a career-high for scoring average, becoming just the third player in franchise history to average 20 points per game. He participated in the 2008 Rising Stars Slam Dunk Contest, and finished runner-up to Hedo Türkoğlu for the 2007–08 NBA Most Improved Player Award. On July 8, 2010, Gay re-signed with the Memphis Grizzlies to a five-year, $82 million contract. He emerged as one of the league's premier small forwards in 2010–11, posting career highs in seven major statistical categories.Gay passed Shane Battier as the Grizzlies' all-time leader in steals on February 2012. 

In April 2010, Gay was awarded the NBA Cares Community Assist Award in recognition of his service to the Memphis community, particularly his ongoing support of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. Gay, who wore number 22, personally donated $22,222 to the hospital.